1. Field of the Disclosure
This disclosure relates to a bicomponent fibre of the core/skin type with polyester as the core component and polyethylene as the skin component, wherein the core is arranged eccentrically and the fibre is very soft to touch and has an intensive latent crimp.
2. Related Technology
Because of their balanced property profile, polyester fibres are now among the most widely used synthetic fibres. In particular, numerous efforts have been made in recent years to develop polyester fibres with additional specific properties for certain applications.
Compared to fibres of polyolefins, such as polyethylene or polypropylene, polyester fibres have a harder feel at the same titre. In some applications, e.g. textile hygiene products, for example nappies and sanitary towels, this harder feel is seen as a disadvantage. This also applies to textile hygiene products such as corresponding non-woven fabrics.
There have been many attempts at improving this feel. For example, a polyolefin bicomponent fibre and non-woven fabrics produced from it are described in EP 0 277 707 A2.
The fibres described there may, among other things, be a core/skin fibre with a polyester core and a skin consisting of a mixture of a linear low density copolymer of ethylene and at least one alpha olefin, with 4 to 8 carbon atoms and 1 to 50% by weight of a crystalline polypropylene.
The number of crimping arcs of the core/skin filaments described therein leaves much to be desired, however, with the result that not even the voluminosity of non-woven fabrics which have been manufactured from such fibres meets all the requirements.
Not even the method proposed in DE 1 760 755 for improving the crimp, where melt spun filaments emerging from the spinning nozzle are cooled more intensely on one side, so that additional crimping arcs are formed due to the resultant asymmetrical filament structure, produces fibres which exhibit the advantages which are achieved according to this invention.
Nor do fibres such as those obtained according to JP 02 139 415 A2 meet all the requirements imposed on feel and latent crimp. The method described therein consists in spinning to side-by-side filaments a component which consists essentially of polyethylene terephthalate and a second component consisting of a polyester which is manufactured from ethylene glycol, terephthalic acid and isophthalic acid and an aromatic dicarbonic acid with sulphonate groups.
Nor does the method for manufacturing bicomponent fibres with latent crimp], described in JP 2 145 811 A, produce fibres which are characterised by a particularly soft feel and improved latent crimp.
Finally mention is also made of EP 0 496 734 B1, which describes thermally bonded fibre products which are not produced in wet conditions, including high duty fibres such as polyester, polyamide, silk, etc., which are thermally bonded with dyeable thermoplastic bicomponent fibres. In addition to the side-by-side arrangement of bicomponent fibres, the core/skin arrangement, with an asymmetrical configuration, is also mentioned.